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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22822588">Everyday Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/learbor/pseuds/learbor'>learbor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic Stiles, Mates, Mentions Scott, Mild Angst, Pack Feels, married, they live in the loft together</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:22:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22822588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/learbor/pseuds/learbor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my first posted work! Yay! This is a collection of one-shots from a list of romantic prompts where each prompt is a snapshot in time of established Sterek having a go at the one-line prompt. Derek is an alpha, Stiles is a spark, and they have a mate bond. The first line is the prompt, and its an exercise to make me write more openly with lots of description. Tags updated as I go. Each chapter is supposed to be about a thousand words but that obviously gets blown out of the water.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Soft hair and slick mouths</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Your hair is really soft after you wash it.</b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After hours in the library at school, Stiles came home to an empty loft. He had made enough noise coming through the loft to wake up a sleeping human let alone a werewolf, so he figured he must be alone.</p><p> </p><p>He dropped his bag on the bench by the door. Toed his shoes off while imagining what he could get done before Derek was back. After the rough day he’s had where his classes had dragged on for nearly twice as long as they were supposed to, he knew the second Derek was back they were both sitting on the couch and that would be the highlight of his day.</p><p> </p><p>With a sigh, Stiles stood up to set all the open books on the coffee table away. He wouldn’t have time to get back to them before the weekend anyways with the sudden project he had to complete tomorrow. With a partner no less, so he couldn’t even figure it out tonight and get it out of the way. Stiles’ brows knitted together as he made his way to the dishes in the sink.</p><p> </p><p>Setting some music on his phone through the headphones he still had plugged in, he dove into the dishes. The sooner he could get them over with, the sooner he could sit down and relax.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles hummed a bit to whatever song he forgot the name of as he scrubbed the plates clean and left them on the counter to dry. The last thing was a cutting board, which reminded him that he had been planning to make a stir fry for dinner. Swiftly moving items from the fridge, he grabbed a large chef’s knife as he began chopping the cabbage, peppers, onion, and garlic.</p><p> </p><p>The onion was stinging his eyes and Stiles closed them for a moment, wincing at the burn. When a hand brushed against his neck, he shouted.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles still couldn’t see thanks to his blurred vision through pain and tears, but he swung the knife still in his hand out. “Get off me!” Stiles yelled as he swung out again with the knife.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles!” The intruder wheezed.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles froze. He dropped the knife and blinked rapidly while he wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands as he blinked away his tears. His vision cleared and he saw Derek, his beloved mate, not an intruder. </p><p> </p><p>Instead of the clang of the knife hitting the floor, there was silence as Stiles finally saw that Derek had returned. And the knife that had moments ago been in Stiles’ hand was know lodged in Derek’s forearm, which was still held up in a defensive position.</p><p> </p><p>His breath caught in his throat. “Oh no...” Stiles said wide eyed as his hands twitched without knowing what to do.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s shoulders relaxed the smallest bit as he winced and grabbed the handle of the knife with his other hand. He pulled the blade out smoothly, the wound already starting to knit back together without much blood left dripping out of the gash.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome home?” Stiles tried for nonchalant as he fumbled across his phone to finally pause the music still squeaking out through the headphones left around his neck. He left the earbuds hanging limply across the neck of his hoodie as he took a step towards Derek.</p><p> </p><p>Stile’s mouth was open in disbelief as he finally came up to Derek, the space between them suddenly feeling like a deep cavern. His brain took the opportunity to kick into gear. “Derek, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know it was you. I couldn’t see because of the onions and I was just trying to make dinner and I thought you would like some stir fry because it’s mostly vegetables so o it’s pretty healthy but the there’s a sauce so it’s also delicious and-“</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, Stiles, Derek breathed out softly. He opened his arms as Stiles wedged his way between them. “I know you didn’t mean to. It’s okay. I’m okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles let out a long breath against Derek’s neck as he folded his arms around his lover. “So much for surprising you with dinner,” he said with a chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled into the side of Stiles’ head. “It was quite the surprise but I’m sorry to say it was a little less delicious than usual.” He squeezed his mate once before pulling back from the embrace. “I don’t think any blood got on the food,” he glanced at the table full of chopped vegetables. “I’ll take a shower while you cook?”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles grabbed Derek’s arm, turning it over in his hands. “You’re sure you’re okay?Does it hurt?” He gently ran his finger over the dried blood that was matted in the hair of Derek’s forearm.He checked for the wound but it was only a slight pinkness to the smooth skin there now.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Derek said.“I’ve been in worse fights,” he continued with a solemn tone.There was no trace of a smile on his gorgeous features but Stiles grinned in return anyways.“Stiles you do know if this small cut really hurt me then there’s no way I would have been able to fight the omega we came across in the preserve last week.” Stiles pouted as he continued to poke fun. With the beginnings of a smile playing at the edges of his lips, “If one kitchen knife could take me down, there’s no way I could stand up to the onslaught of the most fearsome beast that always nearly <em>mauls</em> me,” he said with the smile taking over his face.“Usually in our bedroom but occasionally on the couch and sometimes-“</p><p> </p><p>“I absolutely do not <em>maul</em> you, Derek”, Stiles shouted over his mate with a pout.“Forgive me for being <em>concerned</em> about you oh great <em>warrior</em>, too <em>powerful</em> for any opponent,” Stiles spat out with sarcasm.Derek ducked in to press a short kiss to his lips, and when he pulled back the pout was gone. </p><p> </p><p>It’s when Derek was walking away and the moment had passed that Stiles realized Derek was shirtless and seemed to still have a sheen of sweat covering his gorgeous shoulders.He must have just been running through the preserve before he came home to get attacked by his own mate. Stiles snorted and turned around to finish the meal for the both of them, making plenty for Derek and for lunch the next day.</p><p> </p><p>When the shower stopped running, Stiles was filling two plates with food.Derek walked back to the kitchen with one of the softest t-shirts he owned and a pair of comfy sweatpants.Stiles set the two plates down on the table as Derek slipped into the chair that was always meant for him, right at Stile’s side. After a comfortable silence during dinner, Stiles stood up to say, “So, here’s how it’s going to go tonight. You’re doing the dishes and then joining me on the couch and we’re going to watch a movie and cuddle before you carry me to bed.” He leveled his gaze down at Derek. “Got it?” he said.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course dear,” was Derek’s mellow response. He cleared their plates to the sink as Stiles walked briskly to the couch. Derek, having only a few dishes instead of the pile Stiles had already managed, finished within a few minutes and dutifully followed his mate to the couch.</p><p> </p><p>Lord of the rings was already playing as Stiles laid out across nearly the whole couch with his arms stretched above his head to take up maximum space. His eyes were closed but his heartbeat steadily to Derek’s ears.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles,” Derek murmured fondly as he waited for Stile’s ruse to be over. One of Stiles’ eyes cracked open as he genuinely yawned and stretched his whole body. Derek’s eyes watched as his toes stretched downwards and his shoulders popped while his shirt rode up on his stomach.</p><p> </p><p>Blinking lazily up at Derek, Stiles said, “But oh powerful warrior, are you incapable of overcoming such a feat as finding your rightful place on this throne?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek huffed but a smile stretched across his lips as he gently maneuvered Stiles so that he would be safely nestled between Derek’s thighs and leaning back into his chest as they finally had a chance to relax and watch a movie together after too many late nights working. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch to lay over Stiles’ legs.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’ twisted around as best as he could to catch the corner of his mate’s mouth in a kiss to show his contentment. He tucked his head beneath Derek’s jaw but only stayed for about 30 minutes before his twitching caught Derek’s attention.</p><p> </p><p>Without reproach, Derek shifted them so that he was the little spoon and Stiles was propped behind him. Stiles carded his fingers through the side of Derek’s dark hair. Stiles' liked this the best.His hair was soft and smooth, still slightly damp from his earlier shower.It had grown out long enough for Stiles to be able to really grab a handful whenever he wanted.There was no product in it, no gel to crunch through, just the easy soft slide of the strands. “Your hair is really soft after you wash it,” he said.This was how he liked loving Derek.The moment was easy and effortless, something the rest of his day had been lacking.Love swelled in his heart.Without seeing his face, he commented, “I can tell your eyebrows are smiling.” One hand propped his head up while the other continued to rake through Derek’s clean hair.</p><p> </p><p>“My eyebrows do not smile,” Derek said, but the contentment shone through in his tone. Stiles let his blunt nails scratch against Derek’s scalp over every stroke, sometimes pulling gently on the strands. “But you do make me smile. And it’s one of the reasons I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles dipped his head down to press a kiss behind Derek’s ear before continuing his exploration across his mate’s head. “And you know I’m totally in love with you too dude,” he said.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s nose wrinkled. “And here I was enjoying a nice moment...” he trailed off. Stiles had moved his fingertips to softly graze below Derek’s ear and down the side of his neck. Feather light, the touch had Derek stretching to bear more of his neck for his mate to reach. Stiles’ long fingers traced over the side and across the front, skittering over his Adam’s apple as Derek shifted to be flat on his back.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles hooked his leg over one of Derek’s, keeping his weight off just until...</p><p> </p><p>His hand, so lightly, dusted it’s way down across Derek’s collarbones and quickly found his sensitive nipple already peaking through his shirt. Derek arched into the touch with a soft gasp and Stiles shifted down to meet him. His thigh met the unmistakable hardness in Derek’s thin sweatpants as he ground his own rapidly hardening cock into Derek’s hip to speed up the process. Pinching the nub between his fingers had the desired effect of a repeat reaction.</p><p> </p><p>Derek opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them, to see a spark in Stile’s eye. Stiles let go of Derek’s nipple as he reached for his head again. His fingers tangled in the long hair at the back of Derek’s head and he pulled as Derek’s chin lifted to expose his throat again. Stiles dipped his head down to run his pointed tongue over the juncture where his shoulder met his neck, across the beautiful expanse of tanned skin, slowly over the pulse point, and across behind his sensitive ear. Pausing there for a moment, Stiles let his lips drag across his mate’s sensitive ear as he took a couple of short breaths. Derek whined high in his throat at the feeling of hearing his mate so close and feeling his breath tickling the tiny hairs there.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laid back down with an air of indifference. The set of his brow and turn of his lips obvious as a neon sign to Derek that he wanted something before continuing. Derek reaches for Stiles, pulling him close and petting across his collar bone and his side and his hand with the question clean in his eyes. Stiles sniffed indignity.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought I told you to take me to bed.”</p><p> </p><p>And so Derek did.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Cold Smoke</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Would it be alright if I borrowed your sweater? It smells like you."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>BIG THANKS to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DropsOfAddiction/pseuds/DropsOfAddiction">DropsOfAddiction</a> for inspiring me on this one.  Read through some of their works and really was all up in my Sterek feels and popped out a couple first drafts of around 3 chapters.  One today and I promise another in under a week once its edited!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Would it be alright if I borrowed your sweater? It smells like you.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>The ghost flew across the clearing in the preserve, catching Stile’s arm. It left a chill through to the bone as Stiles shuddered.</p><p> </p><p>Scott charged forward at the teenager who just kept on calling ghosts forward.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> They hadn't expected to find one scrawny kid in charge of all the ghost sightings around town for the past week, but here they were.</span></p><p> </p><p>“Where the hell is this guy getting all these spirits from?” Stiles questioned as he dodged another ghost flying past him to wreak havoc on the town.</p><p> </p><p>The teenager flipped a few pages in the magical book he clutched and kept chanting with a<em> terrible</em> accent in Stile’s opinion. “Woah, that’s not it, you meant ‘mihi’ instead of ‘illis’ there,” Stiles said. He had recognized the beginning of the spell which called forth an army of ghosts to torment the soul of another, and his mouth thought of at least one solution before his brain could think of something that might actually <em>work</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Scott shifted his glare towards Stiles, still trying to gain some ground as he literally defrosted from having nearly every ghost run right through his heart with their negative temperatures. Every time he was warm enough to take a step forward, another ghost would freeze his joints again so that he was mostly stuck for good.</p><p> </p><p>The boy looked up with his brow furrowed and took Stiles’ correction at face value while continuing. “Et dimisit exercitum perdere. Eorum ponere in mihi focus!” He chanted with conviction. Immediately, over a dozen ghosts raised through the ground. Instead of the individual ghosts that had previously headed for the town, each of these ghosts brandished weapons and armor as they looked prepared for war. They all stood still for a moment as they raised from the ground around the kid.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles!” So Scott’s mouth had unfrozen again. “You gotta get out of here! Go meet Lydia and she should be able to help send these guys back!” Scott yelled. His neck was unfrozen as he turned to look at Stiles who had dropped his bat and was standing there with his mouth open. “Stiles!” He yelled again without any luck.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles in return, picked up his bat again, not that it had done any good against <em>ghosts</em>. Instead of turning and running from what looked like an impossible army of untouchable ghosts (like a sane person), he sat down. Scott’s eyes bulged from his head as he waved one arm at him.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Maybe this was a new spell and Stiles wasn't in control anymore?</span></p><p> </p><p>Stiles lips curled as he leaned on his bat to watch the “battle” take place. The kid had listened to his correction, and instead of sending the army towards the town, he had replaced the object of focus with himself. This wouldn’t work in every type of spell, but with ghosts, they just go after who you tell them to. So they had risen in a circle around the teenager wreaking havoc and all <em>imploded</em> on him at once. All of their weapons extended and swung at the teenager as they flew forwards and-</p><p> </p><p>“They’re...gone?” Scott blinked in disbelief. He looked back at Stiles who had a grin splitting his face as his eyes crinkled. “But weren’t they going to freeze us on their way to town?” Scott’s confusion made him look every bit of the puppy dog he was at heart. He finally got his last leg warm enough to turn and fully face Stiles who rose from his seated position himself with a light head and unsteady feet.</p><p> </p><p>“That,” he began, “my dear Scotty, is how <em>good</em> of an asset to this pack I am. I just <em>single handedly</em> saved the day.” Stiles turned and walked back towards his Jeep while rubbing his nose.“I deserve a pizza.” Scott didn’t argue and started following him home.</p><p> </p><p>-</p><p> </p><p>One pizza and a hot shower later and Stiles was still freezing and sniffling. Without running supernaturally warm, his meager human body temperature was barely cutting it, even with a blanket wrapped around him. He was sitting on the couch struggling to keep warm while Derek made them tea.</p><p> </p><p>“So, what really happened with the ghosts?” Derek asked.He dropped a cube of sugar into Stile’s cup because that boy had demanded they have separate cubed sugar just for tea.Someone in the aisle at the grocery store had looked at them a second too long while Stiles was ranting and Derek had thrown 3 boxes into their cart so they could move on.He wasn’t about to complain now.He rounded back to the couch and handed the sweetened mug to Stiles who sniffed a thank you and Derek sat down on the other side of the couch. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles quickly maneuvered so that he was basically tucked underneath Derek’s arm while still being able to reach the tea that he nearly spilled. “I saved the day, that’s what,” he said. He curled his cold toes underneath Derek’s warm calf and smiled up at his mate with a sniffle. “Dude, you would not believe it.” Without any danger left, Stiles's scent was balancing out and Derek was doing his best to help calm his mate and hurry that along.</p><p> </p><p>Derek settled his arm across Stiles’s shoulder and pulled him in closely. Stiles was still radiating an unnatural chill that pulled the corners of his mouth down and he pulled his mate’s legs over his lap just to have him that much closer.</p><p> </p><p>“The kid had NO idea what he was doing!” Stiles continued although lacking a bit of his usual enthusiasm. “I know they say ‘fake it till you make it’ but honestly,” he sniffed and drank some tea. “I just told him to change the object of focus from me and Scott to himself. He had already said everything else and he literally just listened to me cause I speak Latin ten times better than he could have ever thought to.” He beamed up at Derek, who could smell his pride at solving the situation rather peacefully.</p><p> </p><p>Derek trailed his nose from his mate’s jaw upwards across his face before rubbing his cheek across the softhair atop his head that was still slightly damp. They had talked a while ago when Stiles had felt like Derek didn’t trust that he could take care of himself, but all the scenting Derek did was just to comfort his wolf. And once Stiles has known it was out of love he hadn’t felt so boxed in when Derek had refused to let him get up in favor of rubbing his scent all over the Spark. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m proud of you,” Derek murmured as he rubbed one hand across Stiles’s back and down his arm while he finished his tea. “That was unexpected, yeah, but a perfect way to capitalize on an inexperienced magic user. And there wasn’t even any blood to get rid of,” he said as he took Stiles’s now empty mug and set it on the coffee table.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles gave one long shiver before he sneezed, shaking them both from the force of it. He blinked at Derek once who stood up while still holding his mate, now bridal style as they made their way down the hallway from the couch.</p><p> </p><p>Before Stiles could complain about being carried (because honestly, who carries the hero of the day), he sneezed again prompting Derek to tighten his arms until they made it to their bedroom. He set Stiles down gently against the pillows before pulling his socks off and then his sweatpants that were actually Derek’s and large enough to come off easily.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had only thrown on a superhero t-shirt after his shower and took it off himself while Derek took his own sweater off. Stiles bit his lip. “Der?” He asked softly before Derek threw his sweater towards the closet. Derek turned back to him as his body gave another involuntary shudder. Of course it was because he was still freezing from the inside out. “Would it be alright if I could borrow your sweater tonight?” Stiles knew that Laura had bought him that sweater and he normally would have never asked for something of Derek’s that meant family and pack.</p><p> </p><p>But Derek smiled. “Of course,” he said as he crawled up the bed towards the love of his life and helped wrap him up in his scent from the sweater he had been wearing all day. “I love you in my clothes,” he pressed a kiss to Stiles’s temple as he curled his arms around him protectively and brought him as close as possible to his chest. Their legs intertwined as Stiles sought out the werewolf’s heat. “I love it when you smell like me,” Derek murmured against the top of Stiles’s head.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles tipped his chin forwards the tinniest bit to connect his lips to the base of his mate’s throat. The place only he could touch and the easiest way right now to make Derek sigh contentedly. Stiles knew he would end up burning up once the ghostly chill was gone but for now, this was exactly how he wanted to be: wrapped up entirely in his mate and happy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. 714.28 Minutes to Lose Your Mind (and find it again)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If you steal the blankets I’m going to put my cold feet on you.<br/>*<br/>I read <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891285">When I get hold of the big bad wolf</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapatty/pseuds/dapatty">dapatty</a> and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/kellifer_fic/pseuds/kellifer_fic">kellifer_fic</a> and have always been super interested in stories that are told by random increments. I think its unique so I took a stab at it here.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>When I wrote it the first time I was drunk and it was awful and so uninteresting but at least the plot was out there for me to hopefully fix up enough that you like it now lol. So a bit late but at least not a month late this time!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
 <b>If you steal the blankets I’m going to put my cold feet on you.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It took 73 minutes for the pack to arrive.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Derek had already been home.The standing movie night date for Fridays at 7 pm was of the utmost importance and no one was allowed to miss them unless it was unavoidable.So Derek tended to make sure he was the first there to greet everyone into the loft.The others felt awkward about walking in when he wasn’t there because he was the alpha, but mostly because then there was no one to bother. </p><p> </p><p>Liam was first this time and he sat stiffly on the couch until Derek patted the top of his head.Malia showed up next and started eating leftover spaghetti straight out of the fridge and Derek had to close the door behind her and shoo her to the table.Allison and Lydia came together and commandeered one of the love seats while wrapping Malia and Liam into their conversation about the best weapons for canceling on your person if you were kidnapped. Erica and Boyd came in together and got started on the pile on blankets for the floor in front of the tv right away.Scott came with a huge box of individual popcorns and started popping them in the microwave. Rationing them out into bowls for everyone to have their own was also a rule of movie night.Last time they had to share one big bowl of popcorn Derek had banned them all until the loft didn’t smell like all the popcorn they had left strewn about after a food fight.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was last, balancing four pizza boxes in one hand and opening the door with the other. Scott was quick to call him out for being late.He shouted, “Stiles why are you last! You practically live here.” Stiles sighed and responded, “I was getting the pizzas! No one can be mad at the one walking in with delicious cheesy pizza.” Scott settled back down and Stiles left all the pizza boxes on the coffee table while he went to grab a sweatshirt from Derek’s closet.“Choose a movie!” He shouted over his shoulder on his way.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It took 21 minutes to choose a movie.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“But we always watch action movies!”</p><p> </p><p>“Nature documentaries are boring, no!”</p><p> </p><p>“I would just watch you two eat each other’s faces if I wanted a romance movie, ugh.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles always let everyone argue for a while first so he could hear what people actually wanted before he made the final decision.He always chose something most people would enjoy, rotating who would probably be on their phones for the whole movie before Derek was the one to actually use the remote to turn it on so no on could argue.Once Stiles had actually pressed play on the movie but they had to choose a different one because: “your account is biased and doesn’t show any good options”.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It took 7 minutes for Derek to steal the blanket he was sharing with Stiles. </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Stiles had already commandeered a sweatshirt because, despite a room full of werewolves, Stiles was always freezing in the winter.They left the windows cracked to have fresh air which was “really important when you get this many sweaty teens all in a room together”.Stiles had tried to argue that fewer clothes would be fun instead of Stiles having to bundle up in several jackets.He had lost.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was sitting on the couch in between Derek on his left and Issac on his right.Issac always curled into the corner away from him so Stiles had to get his warmth somewhere. “Hey Boyd,” Stiles tried to use his inside voice even though the movie hadn’t even really got started yet.“Pass me that blanket in the basket?” Thankfully he and Erica had managed to find comfort without using <em>all</em> the blankets and Stiles had a chance of not freezing his ass off tonight.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles blinked when Derek caught the pass and started draping it over his own lap.Stiles was the one here without extra werewolf heat so he just grabbed the edge to keep some for himself. Stiles glanced out of the side of his eye at Derek.They hadn’t been displaying their affection, opting to keep things to themselves as much as possible so they could actually date for a minute without everyone’s input.Pack movie nights were for Derek to spend time with his whole pack and help strengthen their bonds and help them all feel at ease.So it was new that he wanted to share a blanket tonight of all nights.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It took 12 minutes for Stiles to get tired of pulling the blankets back.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s eyebrows were pulled down low. He could have sworn he just pulled the blankets back to cover his legs more.Which was ridiculous because Derek didn’t even need a blanket, he was a freaking furnace.Most mornings Stiles woke up with all the blankets on their bed and Derek laying outside them happily anyways.So why was he suddenly stealing all of Stiles’s hopes for warmth? The flannels and hoodies weren’t just to showcase his perfect style.</p><p> </p><p>He managed to tear his eyes away from the screen while the main character was running through the city for a montage and Stiles looked around for a second to notice that Derek had raised one leg onto the couch and taken the whole blanket with him, again. A corner was still on Stiles’s lap is how he didn’t notice, but how his calves and feet were exposed to the cold.He pulled them back gently and went back to watching the movie. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles moved to push his legs up underneath himself so at least he could sit on them to keep them warm. He did manage to let go of his death grip on his <em>corner</em> of the blanket for long enough that Derek had almost all of it again.Derek had never fidgeted with a blanket so much in his life and Stiles was done. </p><p> </p><p>He got up to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge.As he passed across the back of the couch, he leaned into Derek’s ear, hoping the sounds of gunfire in the movie meant the others wouldn’t be listening too closely to him.“You are going to freeze me to death if you keep stealing this blanket and I’ll go find someone else to warm me up.” Stiles meant for it to be teasing, but his feet were so cold it was actually an ache in his femurs at this point and that was a bit ridiculous for Derek’s posturing over a blanket they had no problems sharing last week together.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It takes 3 minutes after Stiles’s warning for Derek to do it again.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>When Stiles came back with his water, he could see Derek stuffing some of the blanket into the side of the couch.So that’s what was making this huge blanket suddenly seem like it wouldn’t have even been able to swaddle a newborn baby.Stiles grabbed a fistful of the blanket straight from his lap and smiled as he stepped on his leg to get back to his comfortable spot in the middle of the couch. He wrapped the other side under his leg so Derek couldn’t pull it back as easily and finally got a chance to settle in and watch the movie.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It takes 39 minutes for Derek to do it <em>again</em>.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Stiles really does move a lot when he’s watching movies.But now he’s noticing it because it seems like every time he moves he loses a little more blanket. Derek still has absolutely no reason to need to deprive Stiles of this blanket.And normally he would have just called him out on his shit but something about the innocent look on his face had Stiles trying to quietly deduce the problem instead of barreling through movie etiquette and yelling at him for it.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles tucked his feet in-between the cushions separating him and Derek so at least his <em>frostbitten</em> feet would have a chance with the blanket.Issac uncurled one leg to stretch ti out towards Stiles, who gladly leaned on it, ecstatic to have a tad more warmth. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles reached down to scratch the side of his foot but when he went to grab the <em>very edge</em> of the blanket to cover his feet again, Derek literally snatched it out of his grasp.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It takes 0.08 minutes for Stiles to resort to threatening.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>So Stiles snapped. “Dude,” he whispered angrily, “If you steal the blankets one more time, I’m going to put my cold feet on you.” Someone threw a piece of popcorn that hit his face and he heard a small growl somewhere over the din of the dance music still playing in the movie.Talking during the movie was just as importantly forbidden as having your to share popcorn.Anything to keep the peace. He was looking at Derek’s face but he looked just as gruff as usual, staring straight at the screen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It takes Derek 1.2 minutes to just pull Stiles in closer</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Stiles waited a minute to see what he would do, but Derek didn’t move.Stiles couldn’t even tell you where they were in the movie and Derek was acting like this was the first showing of his favorite film of all time. Stiles reached for the blanket, hoping the war was over before he started losing toes, but Derek beat him to it.</p><p> </p><p>Derek suddenly gathered the whole of the blanket between them. Stiles opened his mouth to comment, at quite a loud volume, how displeased he was, but Derek wrapped his arm across the back of Stiles’s shoulder and tugged him in close to lean against his side.He propped one leg up so Stiles’s popsicle cold toes could be warmed under one tree trunk large and hot thigh and Derek wrapped the blankets up and around them both, but mostly over Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was pressed into Derek’s very warm side, happy to be close to his boyfriend and finally getting the <em>defrosting</em> he was deserved for the past 62.28 minutes. He could feel the tension sneaking out of his shoulders and his head lolled to rest on the comfortable spot where his neck met his shoulder and it took no effort to be able to tip his nose into his mate’s neck.Stiles took a deep breath and signed in pleasure.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It takes 4 minutes for Stiles to understand what Derek’s goal was.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Now that he was pulled up next to the hottest (probably literally right?) guy in the room, they were finally sharing the blanket where said hottie had a hand rubbing unseen circles over his thigh. Derek still looked like he was going to get quizzed on this movie when it was over and his eyes were glued firmly to the screen. Someone was screaming about the meaning of life but Stiles couldn’t be bothered to catch up now when he honestly hadn’t been paying any attention at all this whole time.</p><p> </p><p>While the credits were running, everyone discusses what wasn’t accurate and what could have been done better.Where the bad acting was and where they should have cast differently.Derek has shifted towards Stiles, leaving his legs framing his mate’s body and Stiles had ended up leaning back against Derek’s chest. Finally warm again, Stiles didn’t bother trying to follow the conversation as he fell asleep with the feeling of Derek’s heart beating steadily against his back.</p><p> </p><p>Erica started saying something about demanding a milkshake and how everyone had to go with her so she could taste some of all the different flavors and she hustled them out of the loft with a wink to Derek who just held on tightly to Stiles who had his mouth hanging open.Scott went to drop one of the last popcorn kernels in Stiles’s mouth on his way out but Derek flicked his hand and flashed his eyes.Scott grinned and let his fingers slide against Derek’s bicep as a farewell.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>It takes 554 minutes for them to leave the warm blanket the next day.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Stiles woke up pillowed on top of Derek’s chest.He didn’t open his eyes, content in the way only waking up through sunlight streaming in could do for you.He tried to roll over to think about getting up but the strong arms laid across his back tightened to prevent it.Not expecting the change in movement, Stiles flung out a hand to catch himself but it fell on empty air, tipping him even further over the edge of the couch.His eyes flew open at that and he could finally see enough to stop falling while laying down and settle back into a more comfortable spot against the back of the couch and Derek’s warm chest rumbling with laughter, even with his eyes closed.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay sleepy wolf,” Stiles murmured against Derek’s cheek. “We’re getting up and you’re making me breakfast for stealing the blankets last night.” Derek shook harder with the chuckle.“Next time just tell me t’ come over, geez.” Stiles let one hand curl around Derek’s ear and the spiky scruff that stretched over to it. </p><p> </p><p>Derek turned his cheek to rub across the top of Stiles’s head.His fingers splayed out wide over the skin of his mate’s back underneath the soft t-shirt and worn hoodie that definitely smelled like both of them now.“Next time cuddle up next to me and not Issac.”Stiles laughed at him but pressed an honest kiss underneath his jaw in the same breath.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Slip on the Edge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wait, don’t pull away… Not yet.</p><p>Yeah I put hurt/comfort in the tags. Thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/thosewhofall/pseuds/thosewhofall">thosewhofall</a><br/>for pushing this one out.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This really was born out of how easily I can overthink things to an alarming degree. Also, I was going for longer paragraphs this time.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Wait, don’t pull away… Not yet.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>It had been a stressful week at college with all the midterms being due on the same day.Here, finally, Friday at 5:15 pm he had everything turned in and Stiles was free for the weekend.His plans included Derek making him coffee, Derek not waking him up with that coffee until at least noon, and Derek letting him stay in bed for the whole two days while he supplied the coffee.Bonus points if Derek could stay there with him, but Stiles knew it was a long shot with how restless the wolf always became when he was stuck lying down while he was awake.Still, Stiles was happy with his plans and if they got rearranged around a movie, he wouldn’t complain. </p><p> </p><p>“I think we should talk to Deaton about our mate bond this weekend.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles is halfway though cutting the apple he was about to eat and he freezes. Sure, Derek didn’t talk about his feelings often but could things have really gotten that bad to where this was the logical next step? Stiles didn’t even know anything was wrong in the first place. He dropped the knife and turned around to see where Derek sitting on the couch while looking at his phone on his lap, out of sight. To Stiles, it just looked like he was avoiding eye contact. So he really was that upset. To throw it at Stiles with his back turned, probably just hoping to avoid conflict.His questions died in his throat. The cabinets in the kitchen all opened at once soundlessly.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles opened and closed his mouth once before turning back around and gripping the edge of the counter where the apple looked suddenly unappealing. He didn’t even bother making the pun about his peeled apple. If Derek thought this was needed, and he never saw Deaton without being forced, then Stiles would do whatever it took. “Okay,” he whispered and he had meant for his voice to sound neutral. Unfortunately,it came out breathily and hoarse, unable to muster even the strength to feign steadiness.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was clearing his email inbox and had seen a reminder to buy gifts for the upcoming Valentine’s Day.He remembered he hadn’t actually told Stiles they needed to see Deaton and the reminder of love brought it to his attention.Suddenly Derek’s wolf was pawing at the surface and his ears focused in on his mate as his eyes followed next. He saw the hard set of his shoulders and the tense line of his arms. His back was rigid and now he heard his heart was too fast to be at ease. The bond was open as it always was, but instead of finding love and peace there, when Derek focused on it it seemed tense and strained. So Derek got up off the couch and dropped his phone to follow after his mate but he only got about three steps before the smell of anxiety and betrayal hit his nose.</p><p> </p><p>He rushed the last few steps to grasps Stiles’s shoulder and turn him so he could see his face. What he found was a practiced and carefully neutral smile and unfocused eyes. “What’s wrong?” he whined, unable to bear his mate in pain. Derek stretched his senses out further to catch any threats that were nearby but all that he found was Stiles’s own thundering heart. His wolf tore at him from inside his chest with being so close to his mate’s scent so thoroughly soured.He crowded Stiles against the counter, boxing him in with his larger frame.Derek pressed his cheek against Stiles’s neck, letting his scruffy beard scratch gently at the soft skin, but Stiles didn’t react like he usually did.Usually, there was a moan or gasp, or even just a tilting of his neck to offer more.Now though, Stiles felt cold and distant.</p><p> </p><p>Derek wrapped his arms across Stiles’s back, pulling him so that their chests made contact as one hand slid down his spine and settled on his lower back, keeping him grounded.Because Stiles felt almost like he was about to run away.Derek had felt that way plenty of times before they got together, and it was most of the reason it had taken so long for them to find their homes in each other in the first place.But Stiles had been his rock throughout their relationship and now to feel Stiles wanting to pull away tugged at the wolf in a desperate way. </p><p> </p><p>Derek didn’t hold himself back.He let instinct take over to comfort his mate and help their bond feel more secure and strong.He pulled Stiles close, pawing over his skin gently, setting his scent there, everywhere he could reach.He licked the side of his neck, hoping their scents intertwining could calm his mate down.When the sharp scent of anxiety finally started to fade, Stiles fisted his hand in Derek’s shirt, but it still wasn’t pulling him any closer.The solid line of his fist was like a barrier, Stiles keeping himself from returning any of the intense affection.Although Derek had once not done more than scent him occasionally, over the years they had been together he had opened up to Stiles.He had begun to show his love more freely in front of others and Stiles had always kept it a priority to return the intimate gestures no matter the situation to encourage his mate to accept those feelings of love and happiness back into his life.Today though, they seemed like a cheap distraction from something Derek had been hiding.</p><p> </p><p>If Deaton was the last option, and they were reaching that point, this must have been going on for a while. Derek had been unhappy and Stiles hadn’t even <em>noticed</em>.He had been pretty out of it with all of the assignments due today.Three of his classes had assigned tests today with projects also due to be turned in online. He had been up late at night studying for the whole week and probably last week too, but had it strained Derek that much? He had made him coffee on the days he left early to head to the library before his mate was awake.When was the last time they’d had sex? Derek had come home to find him about to fall asleep in the shower, was it last week? He had for sure fallen asleep after an amazing orgasm, but had Derek come? Did Derek think Stiles was ignoring him? Did Derek not feel the love Stiles always had for him through their bond? Is that why he wanted Deaton to look at it? Was there something wrong with the bond or with Stiles? The lights flickered.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s mind whirled with all the information he could gather to try to solve the problem but it mostly came up with the realization that he should have been a better mate and scheduled his time so he could have spent more time at home with his mate instead of the library all those nights.If he really thought about it, the late nights with study groups had been going on for weeks because he had found the perfect mix of people who liked to talk the whole time they studied and Stiles had fit perfectly into that vibe.He had finally felt like he wasn’t an inconvenience to the other two as they all bounced questions off each other and that had compelled Stiles to stay at the library until it's 2 am closing for most nights out of the week.But he hadn’t met those friends until after that one party he had gone to and that surely wasn’t at the beginning of the semester.Stiles’s brain strained to think of when he had started staying at the library more than he was staying home and unfortunately, the answer was three months ago. </p><p> </p><p>His eyes widened.He couldn’tquite hear the soft sounds of distress Derek was still making as his own guilt swirled around in the air around him, picking up speed as his failures stared him down.His vision tunneled as he squinted to see where it had started to go wrong.Derek clutched at him tightly with his head buried in his neck and a thought crossed Stiles's brain that he probably smelled awful to his mate right now.<em>Just another thing you’ve done wrong lately, look how much you’ve hurt him.</em>And the guilt and dejection won out over the betrayal weighing on Stiles’s heart.How could he have expected Derek to come to talk to him when he hadn’t been available? How could Derek have possibly been able to bring up how awful Stiles was being while he was busy spending his nights… The tv switched on to static.</p><p> </p><p>He had been spending his nights with his friends lately.He had been spending every night this week with two men who weren’t his mate. And they had all been borrowing his textbook for the class so it made sense for him to sit in between them in the booths they had along the west wall of the library. Stiles’s heart dropped. He had come home to his mate for a week without so much as scenting him and had slept in their bed smelling like two other men. He had pushed off Derek’s advances thinking he just needed sleep. He knew he hadn’t been eating enough lately so he probably hadn’t been showering in favor of sleeping in the precious few minutes. Every night this week Stiles had come home late smelling like other men and had slept in their bed and pushed his mate away from being able to scent him. No wonder Derek felt like he needed Deaton.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s wolf was already agitated having sensed his mate’s anxiety. With his face desperately pressed into Stiles’s neck, he could tell when the anxiety lifted a bit from his pleading touches. He dragged his hand over Stiles’s side, catching on the waistband of his jeans and daring to dip his fingertips below. Stiles had pulled away from almost all of his affectionate touches this week and Derek knew it was just that he was unsettled and stressed. Whenever Laura had important tests coming up while they were both in school, she had never stayed still in the living room and hadn’t allowed her family much chance to scent her except in passing. She hadn’t wanted to be disturbed and although Derek had forced her a few times, she had seemed fine with making up for it once her tests were over. Derek assumed Stiles would react similarly. He knew once everything was turned in today, Stiles would be his for the weekend. He already had a movie picked out and had been waiting for Stiles to settle on the couch to ask what he wanted to order for dinner.</p><p> </p><p>Instead of the anxiety falling away to happiness like Derek had been aiming for, guilt and deep regret had taken its place. Derek kept up his soft touches, getting more and more upset as anguish seemed to begin seeping from Stiles, souring his scent and saturating the air.</p><p> </p><p>Derek can’t take it when Stiles pushes him away. He feels like he’s made of shattering glass. Held together but spiderwebs crisscrossing against his frame. He still stood there, but a misplaced sigh could have knocked him over. His breath halted when Stiles's hands came to his shoulders and pushed him to arm's length. He knew he was making noise, but he couldn’t hear it over the deafening look on Stiles’s face. His normally expressive features that Derek could watch for hours were now tightly shut against what felt like a tornado spinning between them. Stiles’s face was closed shutters and the air crackled. Stiles’s eyes were blank and his face was carefully neutral and open, the eye of the storm. His hands held none of the teasing warmth they usually did, instead of sitting chilled and cutting against his shoulders. Derek felt the webs crack across his skin from Stiles’s point of contact to his stomach, his lungs, his heart. But one of those hands moved. Instead of cracking along Derek’s frame it rested gently underneath his jaw. Stiles repeated himself, “Of course we can see Deaton. I’m going to take a shower and I need you to stay on the couch okay?” Stiles's eyes were pleading now. Derek couldn’t have even attempted to argue. He pressed his face into the hand holding it steady.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pushed him gently backward, closer to the couch and he frowned as his mate stumbled to turn around to walk forwards. Derek was always graceful and silent except when he was injured. Settling Derek down to a lying position, Stiles turned the tv on to see the title screen of Spider-Man already on. He pressed play and kneeled next to Derek’s side. Placing one palm against his cheek, Stiles curled his fingertips behind the shell of Derek’s ear and he pressed gently to the spot just below that that proved their mate bond to the world. Derek’s eyes fluttered closed and Stiles ran his hand across his cheek, neck, and bicep soothingly as he stood. “I’ll be right back, okay? Please tell me if you need anything...” he said. Stiles would have preferred to have not left his mate looking so haggard, but his own barely concealed self-hatred forced him to at least do this, to at least do something to lessen the pain he had been putting his mate in. So he turned and hurried to the bathroom, leaving his clothes directly in the washing machine on his way, desperate to not bring the scents that he now noticed were covering their apartment even closer to their bed. For his friends having never been here, they would have had to have spent a lot of time with Stiles for their scents to still linger in the loft.He turned the tap on and while he waited for the water to warm, he went ahead and gathered the rest of the laundry and started the machine. Even if talking with Deaton was inevitable, he could at least try to do his best to fix the wreckage he had let blow into his home.</p><p> </p><p>Once in the shower, Stiles closed his eyes tightly to stave off the tears that gathered anyways. Pressing his palms against the cool tile, he felt his world crashing down around him. How could he have been so blind to the obvious pain he was putting his mate in? Despite the guilt threatening to overflow again, he set his shoulders and got to work. He only had a little time before Derek would stir, desperate to have him nearby, solid and safe. All his own hang-ups were going to have to wait. He let the water wash over his face and rid himself of the tears he didn’t decide to shed now when it was too late.He reached for Derek’s body wash instead of his own, desperate to do anything to soothe his mate’s instincts. He washed his hair with the shampoo they shared and left it longer than normal to let the faint scent of eucalyptus seep into the hair he knew his friends had rubbed over after their test when they had all stopped at the coffee stand to celebrate before scurrying to their next classes. One shaky sob escaped his chest before he could reign in his feelings again and he hoped the sound would join the rest of his misery swirling down the drain before it reached Derek.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles scrubbed at his skin. Each happy memory of the friends he had finally grown close to feeling like a brand he was desperate to replace. He let the comfort of the hot water spray across his shoulders for one minute as he gathered himself.He stepped out to dry himself off efficiently and used a scant amount of their unscented lotion across the back of his neck where he knew he’d been scratching relentlessly to help jolt his memory into action as he studied. A glance in the mirror led him to brush his teeth just to kill another minute as he tried to force his eyes to brighten and his chest to loosen so he could really be there for Derek.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn’t even have to make the choice of where to find clothes. He headed straight for Derek’s closet and easily found the sweatpants he had been wearing this morning as he had handed Stiles a travel mug of coffee on his way in a rush out the door. Tying them so they wouldn’t slip off, he didn’t bother to look at the bed he knew Derek had made for them even though he had woken up last. He wanted to lay on the bed and soak up their scent without judgmental eyes watching him. He wanted to make tea and sit and talk this out. He wanted to make dinner for his mate and sit Derek down in his lap and feed him food and apologies and promises. He wanted to get out and run through the preserve and leave his feelings behind and finally take a breath.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, he returned to the couch and took in the sight that was entirely his doing. Derek was folded up, crumpled into a ball with creases everywhere they shouldn’t be. The tornado Stiles had swept through their home seemed to have just dropped him here, like he hadn’t yet found a stable side to catch the ground and another gust of wind might just pick him right up into the vortex of it again. Stiles crowded him back further. He avoided analyzing his face, afraid of what he would find there.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, he kept to more familiar territory. He let his back shield them both from the world outside their bubble. He wedged his bicep underneath Derek’s head so they were close enough to share the air between them. Stiles slipped his ankles around Derek’s, anchoring him down. He let his other arm snake up the back of his mate’s shirt and he could feel the warm skin inviting him to rub soothing circles over the tattoo he knew was there between Derek’s shoulder blades. Stiles twisted so that Derek was mostly on his back and hidden underneath the solid weight of his own body. Derek opened his eyes, searching for something and Stiles wanted to have every answer.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, he faced his fears and looked inwards at their bond. His lips rested on his lover’s forehead as Stiles trod lightly. He could feel the thick gold cord stretching between them. One of the first things he had done to center his magic when he was learning control had been to focus on their bond. It was present with him wherever he was and it was the easiest way to anchor himself and his magic.First, he had felt it, and with time he had been able to visualize it in his mind’s eye.Lately controlling it was the next step and he no longer had to put effort into seeing the individual strands of varying shades of gold that made up the strong cord.He had spent hours learning about the bond and how it tied them together. It was the fullest manifestation of Stiles’s magic to be able to follow the threads and pick them apart and arrange them at will. He had never forced them where they didn’t fit, but he had just started moving them to wrap around his magic differently. Which reminds him, while they were at Deaton’s he would need to ask why his runes were taking more effort to activate than they should and if his rearranging had worsened that issue.</p><p> </p><p>He could feel the individual threads that made up the bond as they stretched from his soul, through his magic, to Derek and around his mate’s wolf, his soul, what made him <em>Derek</em>. He saw how the threads created the pack bond that stretched from Derek outwards to Erica, Boyd, Malia, even Scott and now Allison. Stiles could tell which strand went where as easily as he could recognize his pack’s faces. He relished in the knowledge that those strands were getting stronger over time and only strengthening Derek’s core being. He took solstice mostly in the fact that his bond with Derek was still strong. Looking closer, Stiles could see that the threads for contentment were loose. Too tight or too loose was always concerning because everything was meant to be in balance. Stiles pulled experimentally on the thick cord of trust and was shocked to find the barest tension on his own end.The voice in his head wasted no time in speaking up.<em>It’s all your fault</em>. The microwave turned on and electricity snapped through the air.</p><p> </p><p>Derek heard his mate’s breath come the barest bit faster and louder. He had needed the relief of physical closeness right now and his own wolf had finally settled at feeling his mate so close and willing. Having Stiles’s attention wasn’t just appreciated, it was needed right now. Derek felt cracked and raw when his mate had left him yet again. But now, to have him back smelling like Derek and pack and <em>mate</em> and close and full of attention for him... Derek felt like the past few weeks hadn’t mattered as much. But in one shaky breath, Stiles was risking all the peace he had been carefully grasping for.</p><p> </p><p>And Derek decided he couldn’t do it. Plenty of times he had felt forced to take the pain life continued to push his way. He had worn pain like a tailored jacket, wrapped tightly around his shoulders for most of his life. But he had just had his heart knocked around and the last few weeks without his mate by his side had been hell. And even if Stiles couldn’t fix this, then Derek could. He could be there for his mate and their relationship. He could help stop wherever they were spiraling down to.</p><p> </p><p>Derek saw Stiles’s eyebrows inch together and he heard the glasses in the kitchen begin to rattle together. Feeling Stiles looking inwards at their bond was like someone staring at you from behind: you could just feel the intent.He didn’t have any energy, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to fix this, he didn’t even know what had gone wrong in the first place. But with resolve, Derek did what he was always best at. He took a deep breath to focus on his mate’s scent. The noise from the tv flickered in and out. Derek’s arms wrapped around Stiles like roots to ground himself. The lamp beside them blew its lightbulb. Derek pressed his face to his mate’s neck. Something in his stomach told Derek gravity had pitched differently than it ought to be. Derek let his fangs sink into Stiles's neck.</p><p> </p><p>Everything was still and dark. Stiles was breathing through his wide-open mouth. The entire apartment was still. Instead of the usual thrum that flowed through the loft, usually interacting with Stiles, all the energy in the loft was stagnant. It seemed halted in place by an invisible force and Derek had long learned that force was usually Stiles himself. Now, he looked peaceful. His eyes were closed. His breath was slow. His muscles were lax. And his heart was wide open.Derek could feel it.Could feel the breaths hitting his hair, the beating of his heart on top of his chest, the pulse of blood flowing across his neck, and the ooze of blood dripping into his mouth.This was the second time that Derek had tasted Stiles’s blood.</p><p> </p><p>He finally let go. He licked Stiles’s neck, capturing the few drops of blood that remained. He soothed the bite with his tongue, careful to not aggravate the edges of the newly refreshed mating mark. He let Stiles head rest against his cheek as he breathed. This had almost been as intense as the first time and his wolf curled up happy in his chest. Derek let his chest rumble, purring to his heart’s content.</p><p> </p><p>A few minutes later Stiles finally shifted his weight to be more comfortable on top of his mate. Stiles stuck his tongue out and licked the side of Derek’s cheek, not having the energy for much more. He wrapped one hand’s fingertips loosely around his mate’s neck. Not pressing down, but present, claiming.</p><p> </p><p>What seemed like hours later, Derek spoke first. “So now that we’ve established that we are 100% mated and I deserve a gold star for being the one to get us out of this mess, please tell me what was bothering you so much so I can fix it and we can get over this.” He took a deep breath, happy to smell his mate much more settled and content than before. He wanted to go to bed but talking first was the only way to actually make sure this problem was dealt with, so it wouldn’t come up again in Stiles’s eyes. So the winds couldn’t pick up and toss them around, further from each other tomorrow.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled. He lifted his head to kiss Derek. Happy to ignore the question in favor of his gorgeously attractive mate right underneath him. Their lips pressed together gently but Stiles wasted no time in deepening it and pressing his weight down on his mate causing them both to groan. Derek turned his cheek to gain room but Stiles took the opportunity of his bared neck to seal his lips over Derek’s matching bond mark. Derek’s eyes closed as he sighed. “As delightful as this is, it’s not talking and we need to talk.”Derek could feel Stiles’s magic pressing around him. Not cracking or whipping, more soothing and flowing around again.Red began to seep into the edges of his irises as Derek wrapped his arms around Stiles again. He held tightly, a promise that he was there, that was was sturdy, that he was solid and Stiles could trust and believe him, that he wouldn’t let Stiles get swept away again. Stiles kept mouthing at the side of Derek’s neck. Derek assumed his message was received.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles sighed but his scent was relaxed, happy, content, and Derek was thrilled he had been able to change his mate’s mood so thoroughly. Stiles finally began the conversation. “I was upset because I realized how awful I’ve been to you,” he said. His voice was quiet but held a tone of confidence that they could make it past this. Although it was uncomfortable, there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel calling him forwards, through the mess and back to safety.</p><p> </p><p>Derek frowned. “What do you mean?” He asked gently.Stiles had been very distracted lately but certainly not enough to apologize over.Derek swiped his hand up and down Stiles’s spine gently.His fingertips found the knobs of his spine and pressed gently around spots that seemed too tense. </p><p> </p><p>“I just…” Stiles let out a noisy breath from his nose. “I’m really sorry about not being there for you lately and I swear I can do better and I can be here now that all my tests are over.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek could smell the salt gathering in the corners of his eyes and he squeezed Stiles tightly.“Don’t shut me out.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles's voice barely shook. “I’m trying. We can see Deaton tomorrow, but can you just be here with me tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek said, “I love you, is talking to Deaton what’s stressing you out.” It had sort of seemed like that could have been what was really the problem.</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s fine, I just didn’t know you wanted to go that bad.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stilled. “It was your idea…”</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek pulled back gently to look Stiles in the eye. “Deaton.It was your idea about a month ago to go ask him why it was taking a lot of effort to do runes and if it had to do with our bond.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles stared back. “Oh. Yeah, I guess I brought it up but you just said we needed to go see him I thought you were that mad at me.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s eyes widened. “You thought I was mad at you and was going to Deaton about it? Do you hear how crazy that sounds?” Derek chuckled.He could go the rest of his life without ever seeing Deaton again and it would be too much time in the weird man’s company.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled sheepishly.“I guess it does seem weird but I just thought you were that upset and you didn’t feel like you could talk to me so you wanted to go to him.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stared into Stiles’s eyes, finding the love he knew would be there. “What would Deaton even be able to do, Stiles?” Stiles shifted his gaze. “We’ve worked so hard on this relationship.I would come to talk to you first.” Derek took a deep breath to hopefully knock some of the walls in his chest loose so he could pull the emotions out and lay them in front of Stiles.“Yeah, it wasn’t great that you were always so busy or that we haven’t really had time to be together lately but I understand you’ve been busy and I was always working with the assumption that when this week was over everything would go back to normal.”He made eye contact with Stiles and continued, “I’m not mad at you.We can work on things to be better next time but don’t think that we’re not okay.This isn’t a big enough deal to tear us apart.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles smiled softly at Derek.It was always nice to see how Derek was able to explain his feelings now, after years of working to open up again.He let his left-hand cross over Derek’s face, fingertips tracing his cheekbone softly.He traced the curve of his ear and down to press meaningfully against his mate bite.“Never,” he whispered as he leaned in to press his lips against Derek. His eyes slipped shut as they both revealed in the feeling of being close after so long apart.They separated for Stiles to rest his forehead against Derek’s for a moment, sharing air before Stiles shifted to get up off of Derek.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait, don’t pull away… Not yet.” Derek’s hands fisted in the material of Stiles’s shirt.So Stiles settled back down and rubbed his finger’s through Derek’s hair while he let his head press into the side of Stiles’s neck.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In the mood for Stiles being a tad more dominant.  Also did someone say inspiration? Or was that “the more you practice the better you get” because I hit flow so many times during this, and I’m really happy with how this came out.  Also, I’ve never been more upset about writing this way because I kind of wish this was its own story and I could build off it more but I have about 6 chaptered stories in the works right now and I know I’ll love them if I could just get in the zone like on this one.  But I low key want this to be its own story so I can build off it again later because I loved writing it so much. But I always could write more nothing is stopping me. </p><p>But there's something about couples overreacting to mild things that gets me writing.  Just wait until I publish the one about Kakashi literally putting himself into a coma to avoid a conversation.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Slow Dancing in the Glow of Affection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Slow dancing in the living room</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>EXTREMELY unbetad.  Had Movement by Hozier on repeat while I wrote it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Slow dancing in the living room.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“It’s one of those months where you don’t even remember the first half.It all flew by and you were busy with a million little things every second of every day and now it’s gone and all of a sudden you’re looking up and catching some air and wondering why your life is like this.”Stiles looked up into Derek’s eyes.He could see the tightness around Derek’s eyes and the hard set of his jaw as he sat stiffly at the table. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles looked down, feeling strange.He didn’t remember eating half of the plate of lasagna in front of him.He might have known what he even was eating if he hadn’t looked.Work was hard.Sleeping was hard.Finding time to eat was hard.Maintaining relationships was hard. </p><p><br/>
And Stiles was tired.He was honestly exhausted from having to juggle so many things in his life.When had he decided to stop playing video games? When had he stopped reading anything he found personally interesting? When had he stopped smiling because he was enjoying something instead of because someone needed him for it? He put his fork down as Derek stood up. </p><p> </p><p>Derek walked around the table and pulled Stiles up into his arms.He tucked Stiles under one arm while he fiddled with his phone until soft music started playing throughout the loft. </p><p> </p><p>Derek shuffled them out to the living room where the lamps cast a soft glow about the room and you could still see clearly through the large windows to the lights of downtown. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles shifted around Derek’s grasp until he realized they were dancing.He tucked his face into Derek’s neck and let the music sweep over him as they swayed back and forth.Derek kept the rhythm and moved them about in front of the tv, next to the bookcase, through the space between the coffee table and the couch.Stiles went along for the ride and let the music seep into his bones.It pushed out the weariness to make room.</p><p> </p><p>Derek pressed a kiss to the top of Stiles’s head.“Remember this.” The song swelled. “Don’t ever forget me.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles scoffed.“How could I ever forget you, my life has revolved around you since the day I met you.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek gave a small smile. “But even when you’re eating lunch and you’re upset because you only had time to pack celery but no peanut butter so you don’t want to eat it but you can’t be a hypocrite to your dad so you eat it anyways but then you think for having to go through something so awful you deserve a treat and you get a cupcake from the bakery across from the police station.Don’t forget me then.”</p><p> </p><p>The song died off as the track changed.Derek fit his hand into the space of Stiles’s neck, tilting his chin up to make eye contact.“Don’t forget me then, when life is stressful and never-ending problems come up.Call for me and I’ll always come to you.I’ll always be there to pull you back to the present. I’ll always be there to remind you.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles felt the back of his eyes prickle.He pushed forwards to kiss Derek, easily, deeply.He tried to show his emotions through touch.He kissed Derek to show gratitude.He ran his hand up the back of Derek’s shirt to show affection.He grabbed his waist to show attraction.He moaned to show comfort.But he spoke the most important emotion of all. </p><p> </p><p>“I love you. I’ll always remember you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Its the day before my birthday.  I don’t have any plans for tomorrow and I’m kinda hating life because I live at home with my dad right now.  And I don’t have any friends that would send me a happy birthday anyway.  I just didn’t do the whole making lasting relationships thing right.  I just want to move to a new state but the country is all locked down ugh. Here’s a reflection of how I’m doing after ending my relationship with my boyfriend after 2 years. Just really want to be in a relationship again bc that was nice and affirming.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. You Clean up Good</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Why can't I come in?'</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Had Alt-J on repeat while I wrote tonight. Specifically Deadcrush and Taro and Tesselate.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>"Why can't I come in?'</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Derek walked through his own front door. He took one and a half steps in before backing out, shutting the door, and hacking.</p><p> </p><p>Derek coughed and sputtered. His nose burned and he could feel his lunch threatening a second appearance. He took several steps back from the door and panted for fresh air. He fumbled for his phone in his back pocket and called Stiles.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles was just about to hit the high note with Katy Perry when the music cut out and his ringtone came through. He pouted but set down a rag to grab it. A smile replaced his pout as he answered. “Hey, Derek!”</p><p> </p><p>Derek could hear the smile in his voice. But for the first time in a long time, it didn’t make him smile in return. His nose burned as he rubbed at it. “Stiles, why can’t I walk into our home?”</p><p> </p><p>Dead air.</p><p> </p><p>“Um...” Stiles sighed, taking in a deep breath to do so. The lightbulb in his head went off. “Maybe,” he began sheepishly, “because I just used a gallon of vinegar all over the loft?”</p><p> </p><p>Derek pressed a finger in between his magnificent eyebrows. “Was there a reason?” he asked, voice a little strained.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles laughed nervously. “Well it’s spring and I know Scott and Malia are expecting their first pup and we’re probably going to be babysitting for them so I thought it was a good time to clean the apartment this weekend and all and so I started with the mirror in the bathroom and I read vinegar and newspaper is the best way to clean them so then I went after all the mirrors and then I had the vinegar out and I started cleaning the kitchen sink and then the coffee pot because did you know that hard water can be fixed by boiling diluted vinegar? Because I didn’t know it was supposed to be diluted and I poured straight vinegar in there and so I basically brewed a pot of vinegar and I guess I got used to the smell while I was cleaning the stove and I didn’t think about it bothering you.” Stiles bit his lip and stopped explaining.</p><p> </p><p>Contrary to the popular census, Derek doesn’t mind when Stiles is talkative. He did use to tell him to shut up when they first met, but only because it was so distracting the <em>way</em> he talked that Derek wouldn’t hear anything he said. And he didn’t have an excuse for that and telling Stiles to shut up had at least made him get to the point even if he never stopped talking completely.</p><p> </p><p>Truth be told, Derek loved listening to Stiles. He always said so much and it only painted a clear picture for Derek. He didn’t have to worry about misunderstanding him, Stiles always explained the things that were important. Derek smiles at his mate’s good intentions. “That’s awfully nice of you, but if you want help you’ll have to open all the windows.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles chuckled in relief at his calm tone. “Yeah, I haven’t cleaned them yet so that’s a good idea actually. And the coffee pot is done so I’ll run water through it and it shouldn’t be as bad.”</p><p> </p><p>About 10 minutes later, the huge windows had let in enough fresh air that Derek came in even though his nose still burned a bit at the “cleaning strength vinegar” Stiles had used. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles came over with an apologetic smile.“Sorry about that, I guess I got carried away and was trying to be as productive as possible so I could get done today since I have shopping to do tomorrow that might take all day. “</p><p> </p><p>Derek gathered him into his arms despite the strong smell of chemicals hanging onto his clothing.“You would try to clean this place all in one day.” He rubbed his cheek over his mate’s to replace the chemical scent with his own and his wolf purred in his chest.“Are you buying normal things or magic things tomorrow?” He tipped his head away to see Stiles, rubbing his thumb in long swipes across the side of his neck. </p><p> </p><p>Stiles tilted his head to allow the scenting.“Most human things, but I was going to get more willow bark since Lydia’s friend opened that shop in Sacramento.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek stepped back, tugging on the hem of his t-shirt until it stretched over his head.He let it drop onto the floor in between him and Stiles.Stiles’s fingers twitched and his body was too still. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’d love to go with you tomorrow if you don’t mind.” Derek’s tone was neutral, his face was blank.But as he stepped around Stiles to continue further into their home, Stiles caught his wrist.Derek was strong enough to pull out of it, but he also was in love enough to immediately stop.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s hand ran up the length of his forearm, circling around his elbow to push against his strong bicep.His hand pressed flat and warm against Derek’s shoulder as it slid up to his neck, staying there, firm and possessive.“Where are you going?” Stiles breathed out.</p><p> </p><p>Derek smelled lightning as he tilted his head to the side, baring his neck further in an invitation.But his eyes remained neutral and growing up under Talia Hale was the only reason he was so good at this.“Starting the laundry.Probably throwing the blankets on the couch in.” Stiles ’s grip loosened the finest bit and Derek was stepping closer.He deserved a medal honestly. He spread his hands over Stiles’s hips, slipping underneath the cotton fabric and settling easily on the smooth skin there.One slid, knuckles light and teasing, up Stiles’s stomach before he rested his palm over Stiles’s heart. “I can take yours too if you want.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles didn’t point out how he was still very much wearing his shirt and it was clearly still in use.He didn’t say that Derek had left his own shirt on the floor, so maybe he didn’t have the laundry’s best interest at heart here.He didn’t even point out how his pants obviously had dirt on them and that was needing more washing than the t-shirt he really had just put on a couple of hours ago.<br/>
<br/>
He just took his shirt off himself.</p><p> </p><p>Derek smiled, one side pulling up so he looked all of the breathtaking Stiles knew he was.He pulled the shirt from Stiles’s unnecessarily tight grasp before stepping closer, into Stiles’s arms which opened easily to settle around his broad back. Derek leaned in closer, running the tip of his nose from the corner of Stiles’s mouth up to his temple where he pressed a soft kiss.He pulled back to see Stiles’s face as he said, “Thanks,” and turned and walked down to their bedroom to gather more clothes. </p><p> </p><p>He heard the wind blow harder, swinging the curtains to billow out into the space of the living room.The scent of the vinegar was gone. Derek smelled lighting on a clear day.</p><p> </p><p>Derek actually did gather all of their laundry and started the washing machine.He grabbed the blankets on the couch as promised, sorting them into different piles in the hallway, all awaiting a turn at cleanliness.He stripped the sheets of their bed and made another pile for them as he heard the music start-up in the kitchen again.When he was done, he found Stiles putting clean dishes away before wiping off the knobs on the cabinets. So this really was an all-day deep clean kind of thing. </p><p> </p><p>They worked in tandem for a couple of hours.Derek swept the floors after Stiles dusted the bookshelves.The windswept all the dust out of the loft and Stiles wiped them clean as he closed them.They both worked on cleaning expired food out of the refrigerator and Stiles wiped the shelves down while Derek sniffed the different containers.Derek took the trash out to the dumpster behind the building. Stiles changed the wet clothes to the dryer and started another load while Derek moved all the things on the bathroom counter into a basket. Stiles wiped off the counter and cleaned the sink while Derek put all the books that had migrated into their bedroom back on the shelves in the appropriate spots.Derek finished the bathroom while Stiles made up their bed with clean sheets and hung up the clothes in their closet.</p><p> </p><p>Derek heard Stiles’s stomach growl while they were organizing the desk and he left to the kitchen to make dinner while Stiles moved all the choking hazards to higher places.When he was done, Stiles took a shower and put on the comfiest pair of sweatpants Derek owned before making his way to the kitchen.Derek was finishing toasting bread to go with their pasta while Stiles poured them both glasses of water. Stiles almost sat down at the table before Derek nudged him over towards the couch.</p><p> </p><p>They sat in comfortable silence, listening to the end of a tv show neither of them watched until they were full. Stiles grabbed Derek’s plate on his way to the kitchen, putting them straight into the dishwasher, chasing the feeling of sparkling clean for a little more time. He grabbed a carton of vanilla ice cream and a spoon on his way back.Derek had shifted to lounge against the arm of the cough and Stiles settled in the space Derek left for him.His back pressed against Derek’s warmer chest as he tucked his legs up onto the couch, using Derek’s thigh to keep them held there without effort. </p><p> </p><p>Derek settled an arm around Stiles’s back, sweeping his thumb up and down over Stiles’s side as his mate fed him the occasional bite of ice cream over his shoulder.Already half empty, the ice cream was gone fairly soon.Stiles gave Derek the last bite, as always, and left the carton on the coffee table as he shifted to stand up. </p><p> </p><p>Derek’s hand swept down his mate’s spine as he stood but Stiles left anyways, smirk hidden from view.Revenge may be best served cold, but Stiles would rather serve it warm and toasty tonight.He dropped the spoon in the dishwasher and the empty carton into the trash can before passing directly in front of Derek to grab a book off the bookshelf.He didn’t look long, not too invested in the material as he passed Derek again.Derek’s hand reached out for him but he skirted barely out of reach as he headed to their bedroom.He grabbed one of the still-warm blankets out of the dryer and felt Derek watching him he walked into their bedroom and shut the door. </p><p> </p><p>He had just settled in their bed with the blanket and the book when Derek walked in.He pretended to read, having flipped to a random page.Derek set a glass of water down on Stiles’s nightstand and crowded into space on the side of Stiles’s side of the bed.Stiles raised one eyebrow and kept reading.Honestly, this was cheating since Derek spoke eyebrow fluently, had been the one to teach Stiles in fact.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was pinning one of his arms and his arm stretched like a band of iron over Stiles’s stomach, squeezing just tight enough to get his attention and he put his book down.“Yes?” He asked, trying to shift but Derek still not letting him up. </p><p> </p><p>Derek breathed out onto Stiles’s arms, a big huff, and Stiles almost made the joke about the wolf blowing his house down.“I’m glad we got done cleaning.” He moved to press his head underneath Stiles’s arm, who shifted to lay his arm down his mate’s spine and rub circles over the tattoo on his back. Derek huffed again. The corner of Stiles’s mouth twitched upwards.</p><p> </p><p>It was nights like tonight that didn’t happen often. Stiles loved thinking out loud, but occasionally everything was still and calm and he was content and there wasn’t anything to say and those nights were usually spent with him and Derek working on something together. When Stiles was quiet, he noticed the space Derek took up.He saw the grace in his movements and the wildness in his eyes. He loved nights like tonight where they worked so well together, in the way being mated and sharing space in their souls had moulded them into a unit. He loved nights like tonight where he didn’t have to say anything because Derek was with him and experiencing life right alongside him.There was nothing to catch up on, nothing to figure out, just playfulness and love.</p><p> </p><p>“But,” Derek continued, “it doesn’t smell like our den.” He pressed his face closer into Stiles’s side. “It doesn’t smell enough like you and me.” Stiles could have sworn he felt his tongue lick his ribs.</p><p> </p><p>He wiggled a bit, shifting to pull Derek’s head up closer to his chest as he carded his fingers through the thick hair at the back of Derek’s head.“Can you come up with anything to fix that?”</p><p> </p><p>A low rumble came from Derek’s chest and Stiles laughed as his grip tightened. </p><p> </p><p>They were late leaving in the morning.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Did someone say "domestic"? Also, pleaseeeee give me anything else to finish off this series of one-shots. Not being in a relationship means it's so much harder for me to think up cute little established relationship things but I'm enjoying this challenge to my writing. And the sooner I get done the sooner actual real plotted and chaptered fics! I promise!</p><p>Did you like where it ended? I always try to end it somewhere that answers all questions but also lets you still think some things through instead of spelling every single thing out.  Did I do a good job?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Gotta be Numb to Miss You Like That</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"I smell bad. Can you help with that?"</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't know why these are so hard to write. Probably because I only read angst but fluff is what I want to get better at writing to round out my writing in general. Title from Numb by Nick Jonas but I probably paraphrased a bit.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>"I smell bad. Can you help with that?"</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Stiles pushed open the heavy door to the loft with one hand and a groan. Holding his left arm close to his chest, he shuffled through the doorway and over to the couch. He flicked a lamp on while he toed off his shoes. When he sat down it bumped his arm into his chest and he hissed in pain. Grabbing the remote, Stiles flicked through channels until settling to leave it on an infomercial about some kitchen appliance that can cook any food five different ways and clean itself.</p><p> </p><p>Later when Stiles opened his eyes and they had moved onto the sharpest knives on the planet for only two payments of 29.99, Stiles pushed up on both hands to get to bed. Half-asleep, his arm gave out before the pain filtered through to his brain and he yelled out in pain with a stitch ripping out and him ending up on the floor tangled in a throw blanket.</p><p> </p><p>He laid there for a minute, grimacing at the renewed sting in his arm before he reached in his pocket fo this phone. Derek answered on the last ring.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” He sounded out of breath.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing, just… uh seeing how it was going.” Stiles winced. Derek was out in the preserve for the full moon and Stiles only ever called him now if there was an emergency before he got back.</p><p> </p><p>Derek breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s great. Liam accidentally ate a dandelion and has been sneezing for the past half hour and it’s hilarious.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles closed his eyes. Derek took a lot of pride in how every full moon the wolves got together and enjoyed each other’s company now. It wasn’t just to make sure no one got too murdery, but it was actual pack bonding and all that, which Derek had been missing since the fire. Stiles hated to tear him away from that when there wasn’t really anything wrong.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles?”</p><p> </p><p>He eyed the blood seeping through the gauze on his arm and into his shirt and the floor where his arm had been resting. It would really be worse if Stiles didn’t say anything and Derek came home all high on the moon and smelled his mate’s blood so Stiles just blurted it out before he felt even worse.<br/>
<br/>
“I need your help?” His nose scrunched up with the obvious question and how Derek was starting to sound worried now.</p><p><br/>
“With what?” It was the flatness of his tone and how Stiles could picture him tense, waiting to run towards danger.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles’s brain really was offline at this point, with the pain killers they’d given him, and the fact that at the end of his double shift he’d been in the hospital a few hours before he’d even made it home. And honestly his wrist just hurt and he’s was ready for that to be over with.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles took a deep breath. “I smell bad.” His brain was kicking and spluttering through the explanation and Stiles could barely believe how stupid this all sounded. “Can you fix it?” He closed his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Derek breathed a few times over the line before he answered. “Yeah, I’ll head back.”</p><p> </p><p>Stiles heard a howl start up before the line went dead. He flipped his phone up onto the couch and dragged down a pillow to get comfortable on the floor and wait.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles opened his eyes seconds or minutes later when he heard the door squeak across its tracks and remembered not to move before he hurt himself again. The door was squeaking closed and then there was Derek, crouching over him, brow furrowed.</p><p> </p><p>“Stiles, what happened?” His voice was soft but Stiles knew it was just because he was actively bleeding in front of him and it wouldn’t be long before he was mad.“Why didn’t you call me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Its not a big deal…” Stiles started as he gave up his arm for Derek to inspect. “I was crawling through an old building and slipped and a piece of metal caught me. I went to the hospital and it was all fine and I just moved wrong and tore a stitch.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s fingers traced lightly over the line with stitches keeping it closed. Stiles’s nose wrinkled as he bent down to sniff at it. He held tightly just below the cut, black snaking through his veins as he took the pain away. He was soft and gentle as he bundled Stiles up in his arms and shuffled them to the shower in their bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>Derek turned the hot water on and shimmied out of the jeans he had thrown on. He unbuttoned his shirt and held it so Stiles could slip his arm through without having to bend his wrist. He held his mate steady while he balanced as Derek slipped his socks off. Lastly, he unrolled the gauze from his arm and threw it away before opening the shower door.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles got into the shower with his back to the spray, trying to keep his arm shielded so it wouldn’t sting. Derek laid a heavy hand across the side of his neck, pushing his head to tilt back into the water and wetting his hair. He grabbed the shampoo and ran nimble fingers across Stiles’s scalp as he worked the suds through and pulled the little bits of dirt and dust out. Tipping Stiles back into the spray for a second, he rinsed his head off before doing the same with conditioner. While it was sitting in his hair, Derek grabbed the coconut scented body wash and started at Stiles’s shoulders, rubbing sweeping hands down Stiles’s chest and back. He bent down to scrub at a stubborn line of dirt around Stiles’s calf before taking his arm carefully and running his hands close to the wound but being careful not to get soap in it. Letting the water run off his hands to rinse and somehow managing to get Stiles clean without any pain, Derek moved on to himself. Stiles reached out for his shoulder, but one stern look had Stiles letting his good arm drop.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was done within a minute and Stiles shut the water off as Derek grabbed them both towels. Blood was starting to drip down his arm as he held it up and Stiles remembered why he had insisted they get navy towels. They hadn’t needed to worry about blood stains in a while.</p><p> </p><p>Derek dried Stiles off before setting the towel around his hips and lifting him onto the counter. He pulled the first aid hit from the cabinet and sprayed peroxide on the edge of the cut that was open again before Stiles could make a fuss about how it stings. He held his arm firmly enough to keep him from moving away as he rubbed some antibacterial gel on it. He used a butterfly bandaid to hold just the open side of the wound closed.</p><p> </p><p>After placing new gauze, Derek lifted Stiles back down to the floor. “Get ready for bed, I’ll be there in a second.” Stiles shuffled off, skin cooling down. After brushing his teeth, he wiggled into a pair of sweatpants with one hand and eased himself down into the bed by the time Derek was back after replacing the first aid kit and cleaning any blood that had spilled.</p><p> </p><p>Derek was warm, sinking into his usual spot at Stiles’s back. He wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled him close, burying his nose in the top of Stiles’s head. He took several deep, calming breaths, splaying one hand out over Stiles’s chest, feeling the calm steady breaths he was taking.</p><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you call me when you got hurt? I could have been here for you, I would have gone to the hospital…” Derek started in a small voice. His thumb bushed up and down over Stiles’s ribs, tripping over the bumps.</p><p> </p><p>Stiles sighed. “I didn’t want you to worry, obviously. I was fine, it was just a cut.And then by the time I got to the hospital I knew you were already out with everyone and I didn’t want to ruin that for you. I just tore one of the stitches out and forgot why it was such a bad thing to interrupt you. I’m sorry that-“</p><p> </p><p>Derek gently shifted him until he was on his back so Derek could loom over him for emphasis. “Stiles,” he said and he could hear his heartbeat, strong and steady. “I want you to interrupt me. I want to be there with you when you’re hurt. I want to take care of you and know that you’re okay.” Stiles tilted his head up to expose his neck as Derek leaned down to rub his cheek across his mate’s neck. “You’re the most important thing in the world to me. Any night.”</p><p> </p><p>Derek shifted down to cover Stiles as much as possible without putting any weight on his arm. After a thorough examination in the shower, Derek was sure about his injuries and knew he wouldn’t mind the possessiveness Derek was helpless to curb. He ran his hands soothingly down Stiles’s sides. He rubbed his cheek across his forehead, his cheek, his neck. His leg slipped into the space that had long since been designated his and he knew if it was a happier moment Stiles would laugh at him about how he looked like a cat rubbing himself over what was his.</p><p> </p><p>Derek’s lips caught a collar bone and he bit down lightly, pleased at the soft gasp he got in response. “Well at least you smell better now. Better than a hospital and antiseptic and stray cats.” Truly, Derek was just glad to have his mate safe and sound in his arms again.</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse you, I did not smell like stray cats. I’ll have you know that there was a poor little dog which I so graciously took to Scott myself and it was a little beagle and it was adorable and that was like 15 hours ago so kindly leave me alone if you’ve got a problem with me doing my job and helping <em>all</em> the <em>creatures</em> of Beacon Hills to the best of my ability, geez.” Stiles shoved at Derek’s face in indignation but Derek just tucked his head into this neck and laughed at the dramatic outrage that was common to Stiles’s daily stories about work.</p><p> </p><p>“Well now you smell like mine and that’s better than anything else”.</p><p> </p><p>Absolutely.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Truly, why does no one in the fic I read use conditioner… Also if you shower with someone, I can’t imagine how they would wash your face. Like face to face standing, your hands wouldn’t do it right I feel. Every time I’ve showered with someone, I’ve done that myself lol. </p><p>Again, this is really unbetaed and for some absurd reason, it deleted ever letter “L” and I had to go back and put them all in so sorry if I missed one.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Perfectly Unsad (Sometimes I Think About You)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"You look beautiful in the moonlight."</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bumped Heat Waves by Glass Animals (where the title came from)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tonight was the pink moon and the blossoming flowers were waving in the light breeze as everyone took advantage of the night to share in the goodness that made up pack and family. Derek had shot off to run around the perimeter of the territory, Scott, Issac, Boyd, and Erica following closely behind. They weren’t searching for threats, just enjoying the feel of being a pack and having territory. They were all happy to be at peace and revel in the togetherness that tied them to each other and to their land under the light of the moon.</p><p>By the time they made it back, they were all significantly worn out- and wasn’t that a happy sight to see the territory so big and thriving that the pups were exhausted trying to enjoy it all. Stiles took the pitchers of iced tea and lemonade out of the refrigerator and handed a stack of cups to Issac to distribute. It was finally warm enough to stay outside after the run instead of having to head back in early for warmth.</p><p>Stiles caught Derek’s eye as he laughed out loud. His heart clenched at the opportunity to see him in his element. So free and unburdened, utterly himself, and reveling in the pack he strove to build with love, trust, and patience. It was Stiles’s turn to laugh when Erica snuck up behind her alpha to tackle him down into a pile of leaves.</p><p>Issac joins in while Boyd and Scott sip on their drinks. He’s hanging off one of Derek’s arms while Erica is trying to buckle his knees. They end up with Derek sitting on Erica’s legs<span class="Apple-converted-space"> and pressing Issac's face into her belly so neither of them can get up. Issac goes limp, always quicker to submit and Erica manages to wiggle out when Derek stands up (but he'll let her believe she won something). </span></p><p>Derek is standing stretching his arms out so Stiles attacks him next and it doesn’t really work out but oh well.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  Derek mostly catches him and holds him up against his back. Stiles presses his teeth to the side of Derek's neck, but he just tips his head with a smile, trusting and free to let his mate have power over him. Derek carries him up to the porch where everyone is sitting on the cushions left on the deck for the best part of the evening. </span></p><p>
  <span class="Apple-converted-space">He practically falls face forward into the middle of the cushions while Stiles slips off to his left side, wiggling underneath one strong arm. Erica is wrapping her hair up in a bun and Issac beats her to Derek's other side, laying back to back against him. Erica pushes him in closer, resting her head on his shoulder and flinging one arm over to touch her alpha. Scott leans back against the wall and Stiles pulls one of his legs over to hang onto. They're all still chatting, sticking close and rubbing their scents into each other. Even Stiles can tell that the pack is happy and content, vibrantly happy and healthy all at once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="Apple-converted-space">He shifts, turns over under Derek's arm and touches his fingertips to Derek's cheek, seeing the white flash of teeth in the darkness. </span>
</p><p>"You look beautiful in the moonlight," Stiles breathes out and Derek is pressing forwards to press his lips softly to Stiles's forehead. He rests them there, breathing against his face and Stiles smiles at Erica's gagging noise. Stiles would bet Derek was blushing a little as he hid his face in Stiles's neck, and everyone found their comfiest places for the night. The puppy pile kept them warm, the night kept them close, and pack kept them together. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay! This is done but what is it with me and never thinking of dialogue lol. </p><p> I think my next work is a sentinel cross over that's just pages and pages of food porn.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comment if you want anything :) Let me know your favorite part of the story!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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